Cherry Blossom Dawn
by TrebleTwenty
Summary: Sakura PMSes and has a mood swing so bad she joins a criminal organisation for no other reason than to destroy the victim of her hormonal rage, Sasuke - quote credit Ginger Conspiracies.  Kasumi Saki tries to come to terms with her identity as a Mary  Sue
1. Cherry Blossom Dawn

**A/N:** If you want to play The Pretty Reckless: Make Me Wanna Die as you read, it is the song I used to imagine this. Forgive me for the lack of sense. It is 2 in the morning.

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><p><strong>Cherry Blossom Dawn<strong>

Sakura gazed out of her window at the last vestiges of light from the slowly setting sun. She shouldered her pack and crouched at the window, ready to leave. Her eye caught on the photo of her, Naruto, Sasuke and Kakashi on display beside her bed, and she hastily picked it up, cursing herself all the while for her weakness. Then she jumped.

She marvelled at how quiet Konoha was during the night.

_Everything looks better when the sun goes down … easier to leave behind …_

She walked past Ino's flower shop, then stopped and gazed down at the photograph in her hand. Not for the first time, she thought about what she was going to do and almost turned back. Then she looked into the eyes of the man she hated

… _and loved …_

captured forever behind the picture's glass, and cast the photograph aside. She began to run for the gate, reaching it in a matter of minutes. She wrapped her fist in chakra and smashed through it easily, whipping out a kunai as she did so and quickly dispatching the two guards. She continued running, into the forest surrounding her home.

… _not her home any more …_

She glanced to her left and right and saw two shadowy figures dashing through the trees with her. A third glided stealthily above them on a huge clay bird. They ran in silence apart from the sounds of their feet, Sakura letting her companions guide her to their destination.

Another figure was waiting for them when they reached a small clearing in the trees. As Sakura's escorts came to a stop next to her, they knelt and greeted him:

"Pein-sama."

"Hidan, Itachi, Deidara," he nodded to each of them in turn.

"And Sakura." His violet eyes came to rest on her, and she found it hard not to quail under his forceful glare. "Are you prepared to swear your allegiance to the Akatsuki?"

She thought about why she was doing this and her mouth set in a grim line of determination. She knelt before Pein and proclaimed, "I am ready."

"Good." He smiled, and Sakura shivered. " Now, hand me a kunai, and repeat after me…"

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><p>Kakashi knelt down next to smashed picture and frame that looked like it had been cast against the wall, with Naruto close behind him. The alarm had been raised and the gate guards found dead at their posts. This looked like an inside job, so as many shinobi as possible had been called out to search for clues as to the identity of the defectee. He brushed glass from the back of a tattered photograph and turned it over. He gasped.<p>

"What is it, Sensei?" Naruto asked.

"It's Sakura," He replied quietly. Naruto just looked at him, uncomprehending.

"Sakura has abandoned the hidden leaf village."

"Whaaaaaaaaaaat?" Naruto let out an unparalleled screech of disbelief. "Sensei, we have to find her!"

The two set off running toward the forest, unknowingly following the path previously trodden by their erstwhile teammate.

"Sharingan!" Kakashi activated his right eye and spied the chakra signatures of 5 people up ahead.

"Naruto! Stealth!"

Naruto immediately yelled wordlessly and burst into the clearing. Kakashi sighed and followed, albeit a bit more stealthily.

What they saw shocked them. Sakura was rising from a kneeling position in front of the flame haired Akatsuki, with a brand new kunai-made line across the leaf symbol on her forehead protector, proclaiming her a missing nin.

"Sakura … why?" Naruto cried.

She gave him a cold glare. "Because I want to reach my full potential. I can't do that here. Only the Akatsuki can make me as dangerous as I need to be to kill Sasuke. Oh, don't look at me like that. He tossed us all aside like we were trash, not good enough for "The Great Sasuke Uchiha". So I will become powerful next to the brother that he hates, and he will come to me."

And with that she chakra-punched Naruto so hard he flew twenty feet into a tree, slid to the ground, and was still.

"Let us leave, comrades." Said Pein. And Deidara flew into the air and yelled "Katsu!" Previously planted bombs near to the village exploded, sending flames high into the air, and blocking the reinforcements that were on their way. These flames were the backdrop as Sakura donned an Akatsuki cloak, and she, Itachi, and Hidan followed their leader into the darkness, Hidan slashing at Kakashi with his Scythe for good measure. He fell to his knees and screamed "Sakura!" at the rapidly disappearing pink-haired girl. She didn't look back, even as the flames and the psychopathic terrorist bomber reached the gates of the village she had held so dear.

… _still held so dear …_

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><p><strong>AN: **It's 5 in the morning now. It's strangely exciting being awake and drinking fizzy drinks at this hour. Anyways, this is my first fanfic, and it's very late/very early (depending on how you look at it), so please be kind. BTW I can actually write decently, but it has to be at a decent hour (apparently, after reading this. Some of it doesn't even make sense.). Oh, and I probably won't reply to any reviews for a while, because I'm going to be away until Thursday, and it might take me a while to work out how to. To be honest, I don't even know if you can. I'll shut up now, but only if you push the button. I would, if only to tell me to stop rambling and go to sleep.

Bai Bai now ^.^

~TrebleTwenty

p.s. Cookies for anyone who can tell me where I got this name from. I'm not sure.


	2. The Rising Sun, or something like that

A/N: My 3 reviewers demanded I keep writing. Et voila.

**Cherry Blossom Dawn**

The sun was rising over the village hidden in the leaves. The busy sounds of a happy and prosperous community were beginning to rise over the rooftops, reaching the ears of a young blond shinobi, perched atop a telephone pole. His features were blacked out by the sunlight behind him. He smiled and raised his arms out wide.

"I missed this place!" he yelled. "It hasn't changed a bit!"

"Naruto-kun!"

"Oh! Kakashi-sensei!" The Sharingan master was lounging on a roof, reading his copy of Icha-Icha Paradise.

"Heheh! You haven't changed a bit! And that reminds me! I have a present for you, sensei!"

He held out the latest volume of his sensei's favourite series.

"It's really boring, but I'm sure you'll love it!"

"_Naruto…" Jiraya grumbled from the ground. "That is rare copy not yet released to the general public!"_

"Tsunade told me you were coming, Naruto."

"Eh? She did?"

Kakashi grinned rakishly. " So me and your classmates arranged a homecoming party, per se."

"Sweet!" The crazy blond seemed to be all for it.

"Follow me then." The sensei carefully tucked away both his books, his well thumbed copy and his new present, then turned and headed off to the training ground. His student followed.

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><p>The clash of steel on steel echoed through the dark cavern. Two shadowy figures were going head to head, with neither showing signs of letting up. That is, until a third figure joined them, muttering something into the ear of the taller figure.<p>

"Well then, Kabuto, why do you not tell our dear guest of this lovely news?"

"… But Orochimaru-sama …"

"No matter, no matter. I shall tell him myself."

Orochimaru the snake sannin turned to his smaller duelling partner.

"Sasuke-kun…" he purred (creepily). "I hear that your little friend Naruto has returned to Konoha."

"Hn." The Uchiha replied. "Why should I care? Makes no difference to my training."

Orochimaru smiled in a self satisfied way. "Good. That's just what I wanted to hear…."

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><p>A soft spring breeze blew a loose scattering of cherry blossom petals into the path of the missing cloud-nin. He growled at the distraction and made to go forward and brush the small annoyance away, but the petals solidified into a female figure, and he stopped dead in amazement.<p>

She descended from above, her long pink hair rippling in the wind, the soft sunlight filtering down through the trees accentuating the fine condition of her body. Her cloak, although sleeved, merely hung from her slim shoulders, striking a dramatic shadow on the man in front of her.

"What kind of jutsu is…"

The **Cloak**.

"A-A-Akatsuki!" He screeched, falling over rather unstylishly in his attempt to get

away. The pretty girl smiled coldly.

"I see my reputation precedes me, Niraken-san."

"How do you-how- … Why? Who are you?"

She laughed, a high laugh, like bells.

"I doesn't matter."

He looked at her blankly, confused. In a flash, she was behind him, kunai out, blood pouring from the gash in his throat. He drew a wet, rattling breath, then collapsed.

"Where you're going, you won't care."

She knelt next to Niraken's corpse, brushed his hair back, and leant to whisper in his ear.

"I am Sakura."

A/N: Woot! That rocked. Sakura seems a little over dramatic here, Naruto's bit was plagiarised terribly, there was no point to Sasuke's bit at all, and I loved every word of it. Review please! I would love more than 3!


	3. Melee

A/N: A fabulous opportunity for character development. I hope.

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><p><strong>Melee<strong>

"Naruto!" A great cheer came up from the training ground as Naruto and Kakashi came into view.

"What's going on, sensei?"

Kakashi grinned. "Everyone wants to see how strong you've gotten." Naruto landed shortly after his teacher, and tried to count the gathering.

There was Shikamaru, with Choji and Ino, Hinata, Neji, Rock Lee and Kiba, Shino and Tenten. There was also Gai-sensei, Kurenai, Asuma and Kakashi, and Naruto himself of course, and Jiraya and Tsunade stood a little ways off from the group, talking quietly to each other, with the Hokage occasionally smacking the Pervy sage in the back of the head, for reasons unknown but easily guessed.

For a minute, Naruto's face fell. He couldn't quite get used to the fact that two of his best friends wouldn't be there to greet him. But there was someone else who should be… What on earth was his excuse?

"Oiroke no jutsu!" Ahhh, there he was. Konohamaru was running to greet his unofficial sensei and rival in the form of a completely naked young woman. With another loud pop, the artfully arranged clouds of smoke disappeared, leaving the young genin in his original form.

"Nice headband, kid." Naruto greeted his charge with a friendly pat on the head.

"How about that one, eh niichan? A real drool of a jutsu, right?" And so it was. Jiraya was passed out on the floor next to a fuming Tsunade.

"I'm sorry, Konohamaru," What was this? Naruto –serious? "But I'm not a kid anymore. And from now on, you shouldn't use that jutsu either." He paused for a moment to let that sink in, then continued: "Such a jutsu is now mediocre! Behold the brand new perverted ninjutsu I have developed!" Konohamaru's gleeful face fell again as Naruto received a smack in the back of the head from the Hokage. Ignoring his moans of pain from the ground, she said: "Get to the point. Some of us are supposed to be at the office right now." Gulping at the sheer terror Tsunade's death glare inspired, Kakashi announced:

"Naruto, on your return to the village, under normal circumstances Team 7 would have undergone the bell test again, to measure the increase in your respective strengths. But since you are the only one of your classmates present at this point in time, the other teams have agreed that you shall all do battle together, in a melee."

"What's that, Kakashi-sensei?"

"A kind of free-for-all fight. Anybody can attack anybody, fight next to anybody, gang up on anybody. The only rules are to stay within the boundaries of the training area, and don't kill or seriously maim each other. Jiraya and Tsunade-sama will not be participating, only observing. Don't attack them." Naruto sighed. "Everyone else in this clearing is fair game. You have until tomorrow evening. Oh, and when you defeat an opponent, you have to take his or her ninja headband. Return here when you're out of the game. Disperse." The group didn't move for a few seconds, but then the instruction sank in, and soon Kakashi was the only person left in the clearing.

"Only fair to let them have a head start," he said, lifting his forehead protector from his left eye. The Sharingan flashed. And then he too was gone.

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><p>"Hinata!" Ino hissed. The Hyuga whirled around, prepared for attack, but Ino grabbed her wrists and continued: "Alliance, Hinata! The three Kunoichi, strong together! What d'you say to it?" Hinata thought for a moment, then nodded.<p>

"Where do you think Tenten is, then?" she asked.

"No need to look." Tenten stepped out from behind a nearby tree. "I'm right here." Ino smiled. This was going to be easier than she thought.

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><p>"Arf?" Akamaru asked as Kiba lifted him into a tree.<p>

"Nothin' to worry about, Akamaru." Kiba replied as he climbed up next to his dog. He lay down and closed his eyes, tucking his arms behind his head as he did so.

"I'm playing the waiting game." He said with a smile.

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><p>"99 demon wind shuriken on the wall, 99 demon wind shuriken… take one down, throw it around, 98 demon wind shuriken…" Naruto sang happily to himself as he followed Konohamaru through the forest. In fact, he was so happy he didn't notice that the boy had stopped, and ran right into the back of him. As he sat on the floor, dazed, Konohamaru stood on his chest and said menacingly:<p>

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't just take you out now."

"Truce, squirt, truce! I've got some fantastic knowledge that I want to impart onto my protégée!" Said protégée glared at him some more, then conceded and let him up, though not without first tightening his headband.

"So what's this you wanna teach me?"

"Well, it's called the Rasengan…"

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><p>AN: Well then, I've been a busy bee! I'm going to start the next chapter in a sec. I've been thinking that I should focus more on Sakura, as what happens to Naruto in this time frame is canon anyway. I think I need to reread Shippuden. Anyways, I have a team 7 related dilemma. We all know that Sai replaces Sasuke, but now I need a replacement for Sakura! She is called Kasumi Saki. Are there any other characters you think could fill this gap? Tell me! I thank you for your kind reviews, and encourage any more you would like to give me. Are these too short?

See you in a sec!


	4. The Sexy Jutsu

A/N: I lied. Sorry. I've taken so long!

Hope this is alright after so long waiting for it. I did write a really long author note at one point. But word is refusing to open it, so I have to write it again. (I can't remember it.)

Thanks to deeb0123456789 for telling me what to do.

If you review, which I would incidentally really appreciate, please tell me what you would want to happen. I've got no clue, because I only ever planned a one shot. Enjoy.

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><p><span>The Evils of Oiroke<span>

Sakura always thought a lot as she ran back to the hideout. It had become a habit. She thought about what she had been, what she was, and what she would be. She closely examined her feelings on what she had just done, and was increasingly more often than not satisfied to find that she was indifferent.

"You've come a long way from Konoha, Sakura-san," Itachi-sensei whispered in her ear. She started, and then cursed herself. Not far enough, it seemed. She should have been watching for his approach. After all, he was never late.

"Naruto and his classmates are having a competition among themselves, back at the leaf village. Do you want to crash it?" She took his hand by way of answer, and they changed course for their former home in perfect unison.

"Your replacement might be there as well," he broached the subject casually as they ran, as if it didn't really matter. She stiffened. Why would he mention this now? It mattered very much to her.

"K. Saki, I believe. I thought we could see how much better you are than her." Now she smiled. He always knew how to make her do that.

"You know, Itachi-sensei, I believe that is an excellent idea."

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><p>Uncontrolled swirls of Chakra burst from Konohamaru's outstretched palm. Naruto ran and jumped behind a nearby rock for the 7th time that hour, and yelled at his charge to stop.<p>

"I'm getting it, I'm getting it!" The kid shouted back at him. His gleeful face was lit for a split second by a glowing, swirling sphere, then it exploded and he was thrown into a tree, for the 12th time that hour.

_Hmm__… __Maybe __he __really __is __getting __it, _Naruto thought. He ran over to his student as soon as the dust cleared, and began violently jabbing him with his foot.

"Konohamaruuuuuuuuuuuu!" he whined. "Get uuuuuuuuuuuup!" The kid carried right on groaning, seeming not to even notice his sensei kicking him, until he grabbed Naruto's foot and put a finger to his lips.

"I heard something," he hissed. Naruto froze, and was in grave danger of toppling over backwards, but was saved when Konohamaru let go of him and ran off into the forest. Naruto sighed and followed him.

"No way," he breathed. Naruto and Konohamaru were in a tree, looking down at a small clearing containing only Neji in some sort of meditation pose.

"We could steal his headband right now and he couldn't do a thing about it," Naruto rubbed his hands together in glee. But Konohamaru was the voice of reason.

"I'm sure he could, nii-san. But I have a better idea." Here he paused to smile evilly.

"I think I'll like this idea."

"It involves utter humiliation and the sexy jutsu."

"I definitely like this idea."

And the two pranksters collapsed into fits of silent evil laughter, as Konohamaru began to outline his plan, with Neji meditating all the while, unaware of what was about to befall him.

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><p>Neji's eyes flashed open as his ears picked up a slight rustling in the darkness between a pair of trees at the edge of his clearing. He held his stance at high alert, and then relaxed when Tenten emerged. He soon brought it up again however, and cursed himself when he remembered where they were.<p>

"Hey, Neji-san," she greeted him. He nodded at her absently and looked confused.

"I thought this was the kind of thing we would do well at together." Realization dawned, and he lowered his guard again. A crucial mistake.

She took a few steps forward, and took his hand.

"What do you say to a team?" She ran her free hand through his hair.

"Uhhhh…" he tried to speak, flustered.

"Just the two of us…" her hand found it's way to the back of his head, and she backed him into the tree. She leaned forward and he closed his eyes and

BAM! Konohamaru transformed into his true form, snatched Neji's headband, and retreated to his and Naruto's tree at an impressive speed. He and Naruto laughed like they'd never laughed before, as Neji seethed below them, bright red with embarrassment.

Naruto tried to calm down enough to gloat, but failed and kept laughing. He soon sobered, however, when Neji joined him and his student on the branch, grabbed him by the throat, and lifted him against the tree. Neji's eyes spat with hate as he hissed:

"If anyone-" A glare at Konohamaru. "-and I mean anyone-" He punctuated each syllable by tightening his grip round Naruto's throat. "-finds out about this, I will _end_ you both." He raised his captive higher. "Is that clear?" Naruto whimpered, and was dropped. He rubbed his throat, as Neji loomed over him.

"I'm glad we understand each other." He threw this fabulous parting line over his shoulder, and removed himself from the game.

There was a flash of raven hair behind them, and the shine of a shuriken, but nobody noticed. That was the way it always was.

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><p>"Oh, come on!" Choji moaned to the victors of his and Lee's fight. "Four jonin against two chunin. That's hardly fair!"<p>

"Life isn't fair." Asuma muttered, and then lit a cigarette, as Gai and Lee had a master-student youthful forgiveness creepy reunion moment behind him.

"I'm sure I said anything goes in the briefing (sorry if he didn't)." said Kakashi cheerily, as he relieved Choji of his badge of ninja adulthood. "You can't have forgotten it so quickly."

"It was only 8 hours ago, after all." Kurenai added.

"So," Choji wondered. "How many have you taken out already?"

"Just the two of you." Kakashi sighed. "8 hours was only enough time to find the other 3 sensei's and convince them that teaming up on our students wasn't completely unfair."

"Which it is," grumbled Choji.

"Speaking of teaming up on our students, I see Shino and Shikamaru up ahead." Kakashi sang.

"On it." Asuma performed a lazy salute, and he and Kurenai ran off to embarrass their pupils.

"Now you and Lee run along now, and get ready to congratulate the winners." Gai and Kakashi shot off to find the other contestants, as Choji and Lee moaned about their bad luck.

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><p>Kurenai and Asuma stalked their students as if they were born to do it. As they were born in one of the 5 great ninja villages, they pretty much were born to do it. Shikamaru and Shino, with Shikamaru being the great strategizer he was, were pretending they had no idea they were being followed. This misperception changed when, in a flash, Asuma dropped from a tree and was caught in Shikamaru's lightning fast Kagemane, cast only seconds after his teacher first hit the ground. (Do you cast a jutsu?)<p>

In a flash, Kurenai leapt down, kunai outstretched, and was nearly upon Shino when the all female HIT (Hinata, Ino, Tenten) team burst from the bushes, ready for battle. Tenten joined Shino against Kurenai, while Ino turned to help Shikamaru in gloating to Asuma. Hinata tended to their prisoner, an unconscious Maito Gai, whom HIT had apparently subdued in the 2 minutes since team sensei had separated.

"Watch your backs, kids," Asuma warned. "Kakashi is –"

"Running away," finished Ino happily. "As soon as we came to him after defeating Gai, he turned tail and fled the scene ."

"So don't expect any help," growled Shikamaru, looking bored as ever. Behind them, Shino was de-headbanded by Kurenai so violently he flew backwards into a tree, dislodging a very confused Kiba and Akamaru from the upper branches.

"You deal with him," Shikamaru said to Ino, then turned and walked away, incidentally deactivating Kagemane at the same time.

"Shikamaruuuuuuuuuuuu!" Ino screeched as she was removed from the game by Asuma. "You double crossing little-"

"Whoops." He replied in the same deadpan tone he always used. He then easily recaptured his sensei and, with Ino glaring on, got Asuma to remove his own headband using Shadow Mimic. He strolled away casually, past Hinata fighting Kiba, past Tenten v. Kurenai, and said:

"I'm looking for Naruto."

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><p>"Give it up kids!" Kakashi taunted his opponents as he led them towards the battleground, unaware that the tables had turned on the rest of his team. Being more experienced than his opponents, he did notice their tail, and smiled.<p>

_A fight. The only way she knows how to introduce herself._

"You can't catch me!" He tossed over his shoulder as he continued his mission. Then he faced forward again, just in time to smash headlong into Shikamaru. The pair rolled head over heels into the clearing, knocking over every single ninja there, including Akamaru.

Shikamaru blearily opened an eye to find Naruto standing over him, holding out a helpful hand.

"Ah. I was looking for you." He began to say, but then he spotted an unfamiliar figure on a high branch, and focused harder on that. Hmm … it appeared to be raising a huge double-bladed sword to attack …

"Down!" he yelled, and knocked Naruto to the ground. The sword passed just inches above his head.

The mystery kunoichi landed in a perfect fighting stance, swinging her blade in an arc to her front, preparing for another pass. On her left shoulder, a brand new leaf headband gleamed. And on her sword arm, she bore a collection of other village symbols, in various states of disrepair. She laughed, and so did Kakashi.

"Honestly!" he cried. "You should see your faces!"

Naruto blinked.

"Meet the new member of team 7."

"I'll introduce myself now, in the best way a prospective teammate can." She turned, and her raven hair swished and glinted, as did the shuriken at the end of each braid. She held her sword at the ready, and grinned.

"I'm Kasumi Saki. Me and my blade are pleased to make your acquaintance." If possible, she grinned even wider, and leant forward in anticipation.

"And now we fight."

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><p>AN: Yay! Kasumi-chan is finally here! You can see a picture of her as soon as I can get it online. I'll tell you when it's up. I hope this chapter was alright. I think Sakura needs to be in the next one. This story is meant to be focusing on her. What should I do with the Akatsuki in this? Oh! I can't wait for Kasumi Saki (Mist Blade. I think.) and Sakura to have a cat fight! And the Saki bloodline plot twist!

Tell me what to do. I stress again that this is a one shot, I was bullied into writing more. I'll take in pairing requests, ending suggestions, Akatsuki plot twists, anything! If you want Tobi to turn out to be a magical flying rainbow unicorn, then let me know. And didn't you just love chapter 559? I don't know how I lived without it in my life. Gods, that sounded stupid, but it is pretty much true. I squeal like a fangirl every time I read it.

R&R please! Now I'm an author, I try to review all of the stories I read, because I know how much reviews mean to the writers.

What does R&R mean? (Review and -?)

~TrebleTwenty the magnificent and tired


	5. The Interruption

A/N: Ah, all the things I could do if I owned Naruto. But I don't. I'm pretty happy with how chapter 559 turned out though.

A-ha! Rate and Review!

Deeb0123456789 reviews every chapter! I thank you, deeb-chan. You tell me what to do.

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><p><span>The interruption<span>

God, she was fast.

Kasumi Saki ducked, whirled, leapt and slashed with her monstrous sword at lightning speed, laughing all the while. Naruto and Shikamaru could not find a single gap in her perfect defence. She ducked again, and Konohamaru sailed over her head. After a failed attempt at using the Rasengan, he had removed not only himself but also Kurenai from the game quite explosively. Kakashi sighed in relief when Tenten turned to join Hinata and Kiba's fight, rather than engage him in combat. For now he was content to gauge his new student's prowess.

_Although …_

His brow furrowed. If she continued like this with that blade she'd be the on teaching _him _kenjutsu. He was never one for a sword.

Now she held her weapon behind her back, and let go of the hand guard. Two strips of cloth, which had previously been streaming out behind her came up and wrapped around the fierce metal.

"Permanent magnetism jutsu," she explained to no one in particular. "They secure the blades as soon as I let go of the handle, and release when I take it up again." She tapped one of the old forehead protectors attached to her left arm. "I got them from Sunagakure," she tapped another. "Even if the sword is from Kiri." She retrieved 2 kunai on opposite ends of a long chain from one of her belts, and swung it threateningly.

"And here is a little something I picked up in my home of Kumogakure." And so her deadly dance began again.

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><p>Hinata sighed. Tenten had kind of … commandeered her opponent. She was slowly wearing Kiba down, and would likely defeat him soon. The Hyuga heiress started, then slowly smiled. And Tenten would be tired, and Hinata would be fresh and rested. Akamaru grumbled next to her, and nudged her hand with his nose. She stroked him absentmindedly, and he sighed in pleasure.<p>

"All in good time," she mumbled. "All in good time…"

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><p>"She's good with a sword, Itachi-sensei."<p>

"Hn."

"Better than I am."

Itachi turned sharply at this, and grabbed her by the shoulder. He looked very seriously into her eyes and said:

"You've only been working with Kisame for a year. That-" here he gestured to Kasumi Saki, just as she executed a perfect somersault over Naruto's head.

"-That is a result of at least four years of extensive training, and four years on top of that honing her skill."

Sakura pouted.

"I bet she doesn't know silent killing." (A/N: Of course she does.)

"Of course she doesn't. Now, let's get back to the hideout and ask Kisame for more sword lessons. And I think Deidara and Sasori mentioned that they wanted to bring you along on their next mission." He stood, expecting her to rise with him, but she stayed put.

"Oh, just a bit longer, please? I'd like to see her ninjutsu, and I'd quite like to show off my own. Please?"

Itachi sighed the sigh of the terminally exasperated sensei and sank back down. She grabbed his arm in excitement and grinned.

"Thank you, Itachi-sensei," she sang.

"Hn."

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><p>Tenten stepped towards Kasumi Saki's fight. She announced herself rather unsubtly with a kunai strike directly to the kiri headband adorning Kasumi's left arm.<p>

"Step back, boys," Tenten commanded. The boys stepped back, frightened by her steely tone. She smirked.

"This is a girl thing."

Kasumi's eyes visibly lit up, and her fingers flexed as her hand moved back towards her sword grip.

"Oh-ho-ho, I think we've got ourselves a weapons expert." She smirked too, and the two Kunoichi stared each other down. Tenten's hand slowly drifted until it was resting on one of her weapon's scrolls, the one containing her brand new Katana. Kasumi slyly withdrew 2 shuriken from the back of one of her belts.

Tenten's fist filled with Chakra spikes (Which I may or may not have just invented.) as if by magic.

Kasumi's fingers twitched at the hilt of her sword.

Neither girl blinked.

At some unknown signal, they sprang into action. Tenten spread her scroll out and summoned her sword, simultaneously launching spikes infused with deadly chakra at her opponent. Kasumi threw her shuriken, stopping a few of the projectiles, and brought her blade up to block the rest. Tenten swung and Kasumi parried. The fight escalated in speed and power, until Kasumi barely deflected what could easily have been a killing blow, and began to laugh.

"This is brilliant! I haven't fought like this in ages!" She scattered some caltrops and dove out of the way of a swing from her opponent.

"Nice sword, by the way."

"Thanks, It's new," Tenten replied absently, as she performed a quick fire style jutsu to clear the ground. "Yours is nice too."

"Bloody heavy, though. I miss my training blades."

Tenten laughed, and feinted to the right, seeming to get under her opponents guard, but instead being whacked into a tree by the flat of one of Kasumi's sword blades.

"Sorry!"

* * *

><p>The clash of steel and steel was the background as Hinata silently blocked Shikamaru's chakra flow with one of her clan's techniques. He didn't seem to notice. She was about to move onto Naruto, but had to dive out of the way as Kasumi Saki was chakra-punched by Tenten into the very tree she was hiding behind. Kasumi groaned as she hauled herself dizzily to her feet.<p>

"Wow. Who can teach me how to do that?"

"Tsunade-sama," Was the reply. "We all went to her together after, well, you know,"

"Not really."

"I wanted to learn that chakra-punch which you just witnessed, Ino wanted to pick up some medical ninjutsu, and Hinata wanted a confidence boost. Look, Naruto," She continued, now addressing the blond shinobi. "There she is now, trying to block your chakra flow. She's getting rather frustrated, as you have rather too much of it." Everyone in the clearing stared at Hinata, who immediately stopped whatever jutsu she was performing and laughed nervously. Her laughter died, however, when it was joined by another, higher, colder. They turned.

* * *

><p>"Why don't we get cloaks as cool as that?"<p>

"That's Akatsuki, Kasumi," Kakashi informed her.

"Oh, I've heard about them,"

"If you really want a cloak, then by all means start killing Akatsuki members and stealing them."

Kasumi Saki began to crack her knuckles in anticipiation. Kakashi grabbed her by the wrist.

"That one's off limits though. That's Sakura,"

Kasumi's stare hardened.

"I know all about her. The traitor." If possible, her glare intensified. "I don't like traitors."

Shikamaru looked confused-and bored at the same time, an impressive feat.

"But your-" He gestured to her arm, with no less than four headbands upon it, proclaiming her a missing nin.

"It's the Saki clan tradition." She replied, without taking her eyes from Sakura. "We choose several villages to train in, that can develop our fighting style in a way that training in only one village cannot. Our clan has been coming to them for generations. They know their secrets are safe with us." Her voice cracked. "Usually."

"A lovely story," drawled Sakura as she approached. She withdrew a kunai and fingered it threateningly, but was stopped by warning arm across her chest.

"Itachi-sensei?"

"Don't do anything stupid, Sakura." He turned his intense gaze on her determined face, until she quailed under it.

"Itachi? Where have I heard that name before?" Kasumi whispered to Kakashi.

"Uchiha." Was all he had to say.

"Promise?" He was saying to Sakura.

"I-I promise," She managed to stutter.

"Good." And he flew away as a flock of crows and didn't say another word.

She swallowed, hard, trying to quell the heat that had risen to her cheeks, and addressed her captive audience.

"Where were we?"

Kasumi Saki stepped forward.

"You were leaving," She growled. "You abandoned these people and you have no. reason. to be here."

"Oh, but I do," Sakura replied in the same arrogant tone. " I can come to visit foreign _upstarts _who think they can take my place." She leaned forward with a satisfied smile as she watched her words hit home. "Can't I?"

"No, you can't!" Kasumi yelled. She began to run towards her, activating a jutsu as she did so. "Fire style: White Hot Pain!" her fist was coated in a dangerous looking white fire, and she aimed it straight at Sakura. Sakura's body began to dissolve into cherry blossoms, blowing away in the wind. She gave one last, mocking wave, and then it was as if she was never there at all. Kasumi's flaming fist flew right through the spot her body had been occupying.

* * *

><p>That ending sucked.<p>

This has taken so long because I've been drawing my characters. The scanner is on it's way.

~TrebleTwenty the mighty creator


	6. Intruders in the Sand!

A/N: I think I broke word 2007. It won't let me write anything.

Thanks to all my reviewers so far, your comments mean a lot to me!

And a special Thankyou to the real life Kasumi Saki for being a great ninja and introducing me to The wonderful world of Naruto. And also for naming her blazer Nishki and calling me sempai. Great characters, but you're not ready for them quite yet. I think Kasumi Saki being introduced actually gave me a story.

And incidentally, I am having trouble naming Kasumi's sempai satisfactorially. Any ideas?

Bon voyage!

* * *

><p><strong>Intruders in the Sand!<strong>

"Where is that damn Sakura, un?" Deidara whined. "Sasori's trying to turn me into his pathetic idea of art!"

"Good," said Pein absently, as he passed the team on his way to his office.

"I'll turn him into real art in a minute," Deidara muttered darkly.

"Dei-Dei!" Sakura yelled in delight as she leapt on his back.

"Hey, Sakura-chan," he replied cheerily. "Sasori no danna is threatening me again, un."

"Bad Sasori no danna … so, were you waiting a long time?"

"Any time spent waiting is too long." Sasori replied, deadpan. "Let's go."

"Wait, I don't even know what our mission is!"

"_" Sasori opened his mouth to explain, then looked annoyed as Deidara cut across in front of him.

"We're going to kidnap the Kazekage, un!"

"Oh."

Itachi patted her on the shoulder on his way to find his partner.

"Have fun, Sakura-chan. I'll ask Kisame if he will teach you more, if, of course, Shukaku doesn't rip you apart." He said, as cheerful as he ever got. (Not very.)

"Go away now, Uchiha." Sasori growled at him, now inside the puppet scorpion. "We're late, and you look like you might start smiling in a minute, which is seriously freaking me out." With that he began to shuffle off (Is shuffle the right word here?), expecting his two protégées to follow. And so they did, Deidara slinging his arm casually around Sakura's shoulders, earning a death glare from both Sasori and Itachi. Oblivious, he grinned. "We're gonna fly in, un," he whispered in her ear. "Here's the plan…"

* * *

><p><em>Please do not be alarmed by any random timeskips contained within this story. I'm lazy. Also, any canon that I do not out and out contradict should automatically be assumed to have already happened without me telling you. I won't be copying out great swathes of original text that won't be any different from the manga. That would be boring for me and for you.<em>

* * *

><p>"So let me get this straight," Tenten couldn't quite believe what she was hearing. "You've spent 5 years training with the seven shinobi swordsmen of the mist. You personally know the Raikage. You're an assassin in the hidden rain ANBU, and an honourary member of Suna's puppet corps. Anything else?"<p>

Kasumi laughed nervously. "Probably."

"_" Tenten had nothing to say.

"If you think that's amazing, I have an aunt who's an advisor to all 5 kages."

Naruto laughed out loud. "How do they even allow that?"

Kasumi's brow furrowed. "I'm not really sure, but she must be trustworthy to all of them. She hasn't started the forth ninja world war yet."

"Yet?"

"Yet." Kasumi nodded seriously. "It was a Saki that started the third, after all."

"Really?" Shikamaru sounded … interested. Was the world ending?

"Oh, it was hushed up. Mostly by embarrassed Kages unwilling to admit that they were charmed into giving up crucial village secrets by one pretty kunoichi."

"Hey, Kasumi Saki," Ino said suddenly. "What's your aunt's name? I might know her."

"Meikura Saki."

"Hmm… the name sounds familiar, but I don't know her personally."

"She's here in Konoha now, waiting for us in Tsunade's office to give us our first mission as a new team." Kakashi gave the appearance of having been there all along, but the look on Naruto's face told otherwise.

"Gah! Don't do that, sensei!"

"Do what?"

"Oh, hey, Temari-san," Shikamaru greeted the Suna kunoichi as she came up to them from her position by the gate.

"Just thought I should say goodbye before I depart for Sunagakure. See you at the Chunin exams."

Shikamaru sighed. "What a bother. Well, I suppose I will."

Temari turned to Naruto. "What are you going to do about the exams?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"You're the only one from our year who isn't a chunin."

"Seriously?" He looked around the group. "All of you?"

"Yup." Said Shikamaru. "And Neji, Kankuro, and this lady here are already Jonin. Speaking of which, how did you beat Neji in our little competition?"

"Ummm…" Neji gave him a look. Naruto swallowed nervously.

"Oh! Gaara! What about Gaara?"

* * *

><p>"…Over the past few years, this village's power has stabilized, and our relationship with other ally nation's shinobi villages have flourished." Another voice joined the council table.<p>

"We have seen great success in recruit development since we incorporated Konoha's training programs into our curriculum."

A random Suna elder commented:

"The chunin exam is approaching. I look forward to the results."

Another leaned forward. (Commander Yura, in case you care. It's just, you can recognise him by sight in the manga, but not in this, so I thought I'd better say.)

"However… Again, at this juncture … Unsavoury rumors abound…"

"Such as?"

"This is from Lord Jiraiya, one of the legendary three great shinobi… but have you ever heard of an organization called "The Akatsuki?"

Whispers ran around the table, but Gaara remained impassive.

* * *

><p><em>Okay, so I lied and I am willing to shamelessly copy out great swathes of original dialogue. Don't judge me.<em>

* * *

><p>"Hidan, Itachi, get in here," Pein commanded from the doorway of his office. The two glanced at each other, then Hidan shrugged - for Itachi was above such things as shrugging – and they headed inside. As the door clicked shut behind them, Pein said:<p>

"How would you feel about Sakura becoming a permanent member of the Akatsuki?"

"Thought she already was,"

Pein sighed the sigh of the terminally exasperated leader of an S-class criminal shinobi organization.

"She doesn't have a ring, Hidan. That's our badge of membership."

"Ah. That makes sense. But isn't the last ring with Orochimaru?"

"And that's where you two come in. After the bijuu extraction, you can accompany her to the Snake sannin's lair. There, I am sure she could formulate and execute a plan in order to take the ring back. It's what I would expect after two years of extensive training with all 9 of us. She has an arsenal of some of our best jutsu. She's a lot stronger than she used to be. What do you think, Itachi?"

"Hn."

"Good."

"Hey, why don't I ever get asked about my fucking opinion?"

"Because you're an idiot."

* * *

><p>"Well…that concludes our council ." As the elders dispersed, two began to converse. (hey, that rhymed!)<p>

"Nice work, Yura…taking the initiative to tighten village security even prior to today's meeting."

I _have _been a senior official for four years." The commander replied. "And with Lord Jiraiya as the intelligence source…perhaps it was hasty, but I thought it prudent." Suddenly, Yura was jutsu-zapped! Noticeably, apparently, for his companion raised his eyebrows in concern.

"What is it?"

"Oh, uh…nothing much," he hurriedly replied. "Just a little sleep deprivation."

"Take care of yourself," his companion chided, and Yura walked away in deep thought.

_I see…so that's what's…_

* * *

><p><em>Three cheers for shameless text copying!<em>

* * *

><p>The Akatsuki trio approached Sunagakure head on through the desert. Sakura was visibly buzzing with excitement about being on her first official mission with the Akatsuki.<p>

"Sakura-san, did you bring everything you need? Are you prepared? Have you-"

"Of course, Sasori-no-danna. How could I forget anything on my first real mission?"

Sasori had promised himself that he wouldn't fuss over his protégées, but it didn't seem to have made a difference. He harrumphed and turned to the blond on his over side.

"Are you sure that one bag's enough? Our opponent is a jinchuriki host…"

Deidara sighed impatiently. "My jutsu are all works of art… But just in case, I brought Ohako, my speciality- since our opponent…is one-tail."

* * *

><p>"What the…?" The Suna guard couldn't believe his eyes. Coming straight at them, with no cover whatsoever!<p>

_Black coats with red cloud patterns…those are…!_

"Commander Yura!"

The Commander gave a cursory glance over the threat.

"Do not worry," he said. "It will be over in a flash."


	7. The Sand Strikes Back!

A/N: I have begun to formulate a playlist for this fanfiction. Which is a convoluted mess. I just deleted it, because it contained spoilers and was also stupid.

Hurrah! (How very British…) I've finally finished the art! It's now on my deviant account (link on profile), alongside some other art by the time I've released this chapter. As it's my first time digitally colouring, it's not coloured that well, but other than that you should get the general gist of it.

Is it just me or has it been too long? Sorry about that!

**The Sand Strike Back!**

Sasori led his team toward the waiting figure of Yura, standing in shadow beside the fresh killed bodies of Suna guards.

"Very good," he sent a cursory glance over his servant's handiwork. "Do you remember me now?"

"Yes, sir!" Of course, Lord Sasori!" The Commander replied.

"Of course you do," Deidara quipped. "If you'd forgotten, it wouldn't be a good jutsu now, would it?"

"Once their memories are restored, they're loyal servants."

Deidara began to form one of his signature birds.

"Let's get to it then …"

He released the bird.

"Sasori, Sakura, you just watch me…"

He formed a couple of hand signs, and his bird disappeared in a huge flash of smoke.

"I will attack from above." The smoke cleared as he leapt onto the back of his bird, now of a huge size due to his jutsu. He removed the Akatsuki uniform hat which obscured his features with a dramatic flourish.

"What do you think of my artistic creation, un?"

"Amazing…" Sakura's eyes were shining. Sasori tutted at this blatant hero worship.

"Just don't keep me waiting."

Deidara took flight over the hidden sand village, his teammates growing smaller as he climbed higher and higher, the surprisingly tasteful architecture of Suna spreading out below him, just begging to be blown up.

"One tailed Shukaku of the sand…" he whispered to the wind. "Show me _your_ art…"

On the ground, Sasori turned to his pink haired protégée, who still stared after the bomber as he soared over the walls of the puppet master's hometown.

"Get into position now."

She replied by way of salute.

"And watch him," he turned his eyes upwards to watch Deidara doing what he did best. He thought he could hear a couple of minute explosions and faint strains of manic laughter, but that might have just been his imagination. Then again, his Hiruko puppet did have great hearing …

"Much as I hate to admit it, given how infuriating he is, the brat has serious talent." He narrowed his gaze at Sakura.

"Now scram."

And she was gone, leaving nothing but a small scattering of cherry blossom petals in her wake. Sasori settled himself in for a long wait. The brat always did take his own sweet time.

Sakura watched Deidara alight on the rooftop of the Kazekage residence from a secluded spot in the rock (courtesy of Zetsu's excellent tutorage). She saw the Kazekage, Gaara, approach him over the rooftop, his sand swirling about him threateningly. She saw Deidara hurriedly realight upon his bird and engage in some extremely skilled flying. Gaara directed the grasping arms of sand like a virtuoso; they were almost elegant. She felt a thrill of fear as he raised his arms and called a awe inspiring wall of heavy sand from behind the village.

But Deidara was too fast for them. He swooped, and dived, and at one point executed a perfect corkscrew loop, narrowly slipping through a slight gap left by the arms. She held her breath, then exhaled dramatically as he seemed to get free of their grasp. She hurriedly rallied herself when one tendril of grasping sand caught him by the arm. How _could _he have been caught? He was so _fast_.

She had to assist now; nothing could escape Gaara's claws. But then, as if in response to her thoughts, he looked directly at her, and gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head. She stood down, and had to watch as Gaara clenched his fist and crushed Deidara's arm. It was hard, but so were many things she had done in Akatsuki. She whimpered in sympathy, and her left hand went up to protect her other arm quite subconsciously.

But her panic flared again as Deidara began to fall. He soared away on new wings only moments later though, and she resolved to kill him as soon as she got the chance for causing her so much worry.

He continued to fly, and even from that distance she could see his strategy forming. Her eyes widened as he hoisted Ohako from its place at his belt pouch. He kept glancing over at her hiding place; he was worried about her, she realized, about Ohako's destructive capabilities reaching her.

_Fool … I'm not that little girl you met two years ago … I can take care of myself …_

Gaara had noticed this discrepancy. His eyes bored into Deidara's. The two shinobi came to a standstill, glaring at each other. Deidara's eyes flicked back towards her; that was all the invitation the Kazekage needed. He sprang, and tendrils of sand wrapped around Deidara's body, holding him in place. He stared at his captive for a few seconds, then spoke in his expressionless voice:

"Nobody attacks my village … Sabakuro! Sand Prison!"

He then held up his hand and began to inch it into a fist nauseatingly slowly.

Deidara tried to keep quiet, but she could see him squirming in his prison. He stopped, gasping for breath, eyeing Gaara's steadily closing fist apprehensively. Gaara flexed his fingers, and Deidara cried out. Even from such a distance away, she could hear something crack.

In a flash, Sakura was by his side, ready to defend. She loosed a handful of her specialised senbon, developed and prepared exclusively for this mission, in his direction. He brushed most aside with a wave of his sand, but one lodged in his shoulder, and a momentary flash of annoyance crossed his features. She used her favourite new jutsu, developed by herself and Konan-sama, and scattered herself to the winds as cherry blossom petals. She solidified behind the Kazekage, and threw out some chakra threads, catching Gaara by the arms, stopping the sand prison and freeing Deidara. He fell to his knees, gasping for breath, and nearly dropped Ohako.

Sakura steeled herself, flexed her puppet strings, and began to draw out Gaara's chakra.

The effect was instantaneous. She felt huge amounts of Chakra flooding her own reserves from Shukaku's seal, as one-tail tried to compensate for its host's massive loss of Chakra. And then the senbon activated, blocking the Bijuu's link with Gaara. She could almost hear it roar its displeasure. He collapsed almost immediately without the beast's assistance, falling among a heavy rain of sand, released when he unwillingly ended the jutsu. Then the tail of Deidara's bird snared him and wrapped him up tight for the journey. Flakes of his sand armour fluttered off, down to the ground.

She swayed, nearly fell too, but Deidara caught her one-armed and slung her over his shoulder. With his two prizes, he addressed the horrified Suna audience.

"Evening gentlemen," he announced theatrically. "And what a fine evening it is. Kind regards from your old friend Akasuna no Sasori and best wishes for the future." He tried to give a mock bow with Sakura on his shoulder and his single arm preoccupied with keeping her there and failed miserably. He settled for a spot of manic laughter as he took flight towards where Sasori was waiting for their return.

"Why did you tell them about Sasori no danna, Dei? You know he won't like that," Sakura asked him as she pried at his hand holding her to his shoulder. He reached up to pat her on the head with his free hand, then remembered he didn't have one and sighed.

"None of them would think to follow us if he's part of our team, Sakura-chan. His betrayal crippled that village for quite a number of years, un."

"Oh …"

_What the hell is with that last bit? It sucks!_

… _I am in Misery, there ain't nobody who can comfort me – oh yeah! Why won't you answer me, the silence is slowly killing me … Maroon 5. Misery. Oh yeah. And now I will get on with the story._

"You took your time,"

"Give me some credit here, danna! I just fought one of the 5 strongest ninja in the world, and I only lost one arm! And cracked several ribs! Come to think of it, give me some sympathy too!"

Sasori took one look at his distraught face and burst out laughing. Deidara took an involuntary step back. Sakura wondered whether manic laughter was a membership requirement for this organization.

"Sasori no danna," She chided. "You are a cruel person."

"I'm an S-class criminal, Sakura-chan. It's in the job description."

Deidara watched with mounting horror as the two were drawn into a discussion on the merits of Sasori's lack of caring. He glared. He pouted. He whined. Finally, he resorted to drastic measures, namely assuming a woebegone expression, crying out theatrically, and draping himself artfully over the back of his bird. Sasori tutted at this obvious ploy for their pretty teammate's attention, but Sakura rushed straight to his side.

"Deidei? Where does it hurt?"

"The arm, or lack thereof, doesn't hurt that much, un." He winced for good measure as she prodded at his chest. "I think it's the ribs."

She coated her hands in her green healing chakra and began work immediately.

"You don't mind, danna, do you? I won't have him traipsing across three countries with broken ribs."

Deidara peeked around the side of his nurse and shot a self-satisfied smirk at Sasori. Sasori responded by whipping out Scorpion's tail and stealing Ohako.

_Petty, danna, petty …_

He gave Sasori an example of his glowering pout that made the fangirls swoon to show his displeasure.

Sasori stuck his tongue out at him.

The finest tawny hawk of Sunagakure soared on swift wings towards the Hokage tower. It came to perch with a flourish, attracting the attention of a nearby guard.

"That's Sunagakure's hawk, Takamaru!" He took the scroll from Takamaru's back. "Call up the decoders now- "

The flurry of activity on the rooftop was interrupted by approaching footsteps, not yet with a visible owner, but with an air of _command _impossible to ignore.

"There will be no need for that," Meikura Saki spoke in silky tones. "I am quite familiar with Suna's encoding."

She snatched the scroll and unfurled it with a languid air. She read intently, her eyebrows drawing closer and closer together in consternation. She snapped the scroll closed.

"We need to get this to Lady Fifth, immediately!"

"Nu-uh!" Said Naruto, shaking his head. "No way are we doing that mission!"

Tsunade sighed. "Young man, you do realize who you're speaking to like that?"

Kakashi sighed the kind of sigh that usually preluded an anime sweatdrop, or possibly a dramatic facepalm moment.

"Naruto," said Kasumi. "The Raikage would hate you."

"Old man Third … he really knew his stuff …" Naruto muttered under his breath.

"Excuse me? What did you just- " Tsunade's rant was interrupted by Meikura Saki throwing the doors open with careless abandon and strutting in with the well-cultivated air of a woman with better places to be.

"Mei-tan!" Kasumi cried happily.

"Hey there, Sumi-chan," She spared a carefree grin of greeting for her niece, but then it was back to business.

"Saki-san, I trust that this is important," Tsunade's voice was stern.

"It's bad news I'm afraid, Lady Fifth. The Sand's Kazekage has been kidnapped by the Akatsuki. Which is a shame, really. I always liked that boy."

Tsunade sighed, then tossed aside the mission which she had previously been briefing.

"Very well. Team Kakashi, I hearby amend your mission. You will travel to the sand and assist them in any way you can. Is that clear?"

"Score!" Kasumi hissed triumphantly.

That was so long. Dear Gods, It took forever to type that out, and it wasn't even that good. I hope I can do great things in the next one.

I've decided that I'm pleased with Meikura Saki, so she might get an actual part in the story now. Maybe I'll make her a Kage or something. Also, her theme song is Elbow – Grounds for Divorce. Kasumi's theme song is My Chemical Romance – Party Poison. You can see her on my DeviantArt account now, found as a link on my profile. I will give you Meikura Saki soon. Akatsuki Sakura is The Pretty Reckless – Make Me Wanna Die.

I think I might even start doing different things in the story now. Sempai's bit is taking ages to come up. It's really annoying me. But Meikura can do cool things, so I suppose I'll live.

Review if you usually do, if you usually don't, and If you are my school friends, please do not use the review system to argue.

Thank you for your time.

And also I Love Yugioh.

Yeah.

…

…

… I'm going to shut up now.


	8. A pathetic effort

A/N: Just took the Mary Sue test. It's not actually as bad as you might think.

Although I am seriously embarrassed by how similar her past is to Sasuke's. There's no getting around it, that's bad.

My original villain did better though, I'm proud of her.

Meikura Saki is major Sue-alert. But I find this funny so I'm probably not going to change it. She's not a main character anyway.

Expect Sakura to completely Pwn Kasumi around chapter 10 or so. You'll all love that.

And do the Mary-Sue test on Naruto. It's hilarious! (You have to answer him as an original fiction character, but it's funny. Trust me.)

Basically Kasumi got 29,

Original-villain-chan got 23,

Meikura Saki got 44,

And Naruto got 95. Honestly, he really did.

And also go look at my DeviantArt. I want at least one comment that does not involve how Sue-ish my character is. No offense, Kaelin, if you still read this.

Sorry I took so long. I was writing a book.

And also, let's talk pairings! What would you suggest?

And ideal chapter lengths. The last one just seemed to go on forever. And this one is tiny.

* * *

><p>Her cup cracked as she replaced it on the table.<p>

…_I am not superstitious… _Temari thought _…but I have a feeling something terrible has happened…_

The wind ruffled her hair as team 7 sped past, accompanied by Meikura Saki. Following her instinct, she got up and followed them.

* * *

><p>"So, you've really got no idea where your Jinchuuriki is then, Sasori no danna?"<p>

"Haven't the faintest. I wish it would just come to us, save us the bother…"

Both Sasori and Sakura were steadfastly ignoring their other companion trailing along behind them, whining about everything from the weather to his missing arm to the look of smug triumph Sasori was sending his way, from his coveted position at Sakura's side.

"What are we gonna do while we wait for you to get an assignment, then?"

Sakura sighed despondently. "I'm not going to get one of those until I get membership, and I'm not going to get that until someone dies …"

"So…we're all gonna be really bored then?" Deidara had caught up with them.

"Yeah…"

"Hey, cheer up _bakas_," Sasori laughed. "We could always kill Hidan or something. Then you'd get membership…"

"Ooh! Can I help?"

"No, brat. I don't like you."

Sakura frowned. "You know, Hidan has his good points too, once you get to know him. He's actually a really funny guy … what?"

Deidara chuckled. "Is that a Konoha thing there? You all like absolutely everyone?"

"Itachi doesn't do it."

"Yes, but Itachi is a psychopath."

"…touché."

* * *

><p>"Temari-san! Glad you could join us for the journey!" Kakashi shouted over at Temari as the group ran together. "I'm sorry about Gaara!"<p>

"What?" she shouted back.

"Oh. Awkward." He muttered. Then he recovered, and yelled: "Naruto! You tell her!" before speeding off ahead of the group.

"Bowie-sensei! Oh, wrong show. Let me try again.

Kakashi-sensei! You cop out!" He turned to Temari, who was tapping her foot impatiently. "Erm … Kasumi Saki!" He followed his sensei.

She placed a comforting hand on Temari's shoulder.

"The Akatsuki kidnapped your brother. Sorry about that."

"Ohayo, Sakura-chan," Hidan called from his post outside the Akatsuki hideout. "I see you finally ditched the little pricks!"

Deidara muffled a gasp of outrage from his position in the tree above Hidan's head. Sasori sighed the sigh of the terminally exasperated Danna, and pushed him out of it. Hidan laughed manically and set about sacrificing him to Jashin-sama.

"Danna, Danna, HELP ME!" Deidara cried, in between screams for his immortal soul. As was usual when this happened, Sasori completely ignored his protégée and left it to Pein-sama to handle. He disappeared inside the cave which he sadly had to call home.

"Erm … Sasori no danna? You've forgotten your Jinchuuriki! Anything? No…?" Sakura sighed and set about bringing their captive in herself. She had just about managed to drag him to the door, when Pein stuck his head out of the cave mouth and screamed:

"I'M WAITING! WHERE IS MY FUCKING JINCHUURIKI!"

"Erm, here, Leader-sama," Sakura piped up. He relaxed visibly, picking up Gaara and tossing him over his shoulder.

"Ah, thank you, Sakura-san. At least someone in this elite organisation knows how to finish a job." He punctuated this with a glare in the direction of Deidara trying to chew Hidan's face off with one of his hand mouths. He sighed, and rubbed at his temples. Pein-sama seemed to have a permanent headache.

"Amateurs," He muttered as he stalked back inside. "Get Kakuzu to sort them out, Sakura."

"Right away, sir."

"And when we've sorted this one out, you get to go kill Orochimaru or something and get your hands on the spare ring. Have fun."

"Really? I will, Leader-sama! Thank you!"

"… now go find Kakuzu!"

* * *

><p>"Naruto?" Kasumi asked her new teammate. "Are you okay?"<p>

"No! I hate this!"

Alarmed, Kasumi backed away.

"The nine-tailed demon fox inside of me… and Shukaku inside Gaara … they're the only reason the Akatsuki want us! It's horrible! They only see us for the monsters we carry! That's why I have to save him. It's always him! Why should his life be full of misery all the time? That's why I'm not okay! I need to save him, whatever happens!"

"Well…" she replied. "I'm sorry I asked. But I want you to know that you can count on me to help. After all, I'm in your team now. And I won't try to replace _her_."

"Thank you, Kasumi." He said, curtly.

…_Naruto Uzumaki…Thank you…_ Temari thought.

* * *

><p>Tsunade unfurled her newspaper and shook out the creases. She laid it out on her desk, flipping to straight to the gambling section with one hand and fishing her lottery ticket out of her pocket with the other. She smoothed it over and compared it with the newspaper's example. Abruptly, she pushed away from the table, and stalked over to the door.<p>

… _dire omens indeed …_

"Shizune! Shizune! Where are you? I've won the lottery!"

Shizune came running.

"Are you sure?"

She examined the ticket, and nodded grimly.

"This is bad. We need to send backup to the land of wind immediately."

* * *

><p>"Thank god you're all here. Kankuro ran to embrace his sister.<p>

"Any news?" She asked him worriedly.

"Only one thing. The blonde, before he left with Gaara, announced that he had come with Akasuna no Sasori."

"No! It can't be him!"

"It was. I followed him to the village entrance. I recognized the puppet he was inside. It was definitely Sasori."

"But then … what are we going to do?"

"I don't know, Ane. I don't know." (blame google translate.)

"Um…" Naruto cleared his throat. "Who is Sasori?"

Meikura Saki answered him.

"The creator of Suna's puppet corps, and the killer of the third Kazekage. Basically, he's bad news. But he abandoned the village 20 years ago; why return now?"

Kankuro shrugged. "Beats me, Saki-sama. All I know is we need some way of defeating him to get my brother back. I'll give you and Temari an overview of the situation in the village, then the rest of us can follow the trail before it goes cold on us. We can trade ideas as we walk."

With that he turned and strode back into the village, Meikura Saki at his side, with the others hurrying to keep up.

* * *

><p>"…I'm giving you an identical mission to Team Kakashi. Join them in the sand and see that they complete their assigned task. Understood?"<p>

"Roger!" Yelled Gai, with far more enthusiasm than was strictly necessary. He then promptly sneezed.

"Are you getting sick? Tsunade asked.

"Nah, just allergies." He turned to his team. "Alright everyone, we reach the sand in a day!"

"Nay, Master! In half a day!" Lee joined in enthusiastically.

Neji sighed the sigh of the terminally exasperated shinobi with embarrassing teammates. "I thought it took like _three_ days…" he said.

"If you all keep talking, it'll seem like forever! Oi you two, shut up!"

* * *

><p><em>So that's the end of Volume 28. The next one I own is 42. Useful.<em>

_I seem to have run out of things to say. Oh dear._

_No. I really can't think of anything else right now._

_I'm in ICT marking my own exam. I am so bored!_

* * *

><p>AN: I give up. I'll try to get the next one out within the next month. At least if I start a new one I can have an acceptable small timeskip.

Wait.

I had an idea!

…

No I did't.

All I want to do is get to the good bit. This bit is the boring bit. It's hard to write.

I try. I apologize for this fiasco. I think the next one might be better.


	9. An Interlude with Kasumi Saki

An Interlude with Kasumi Saki:

Well, you all know me from the fanfiction, so I guess I don't need to introduce myself. TrebleTwenty is reading the manga again for research purposes, so I thought I'd better say hi, cause who knows how long _that's_ gonna take. I'm like, it's a fanfiction, just write whatever, and she's like, no, it's gotta stay similar, and like diverge from the original plot in a creative way and what do you know anyway? You're a figment of my imagination. Go away.

So, hi.

TrebleTwenty is very mean to me sometimes. She's saying that it she agrees with the reviewers! She's gonna let me get Pwned by Sakura! Me, her own creation! I mean, Sakura has pink hair! Seriously? Who has pink hair?

I don't wanna be Pwned. Whatever that is. It sounds painful and embarrassing.

She said that you guys think I'm a Mary Sue. This I found that teensiest bit upsetting. I don't wanna be unrealistic! I'm trying to be a wholesome, likeable character. I don't mean to be a namedropper! I really do know the Raikage! And is it my fault I'm good with a sword? No, it isn't! It's Kushimaru's!

TrebleTwenty is trying to make me more normal. I resent that. I'm trying to join Team 7 here! The less normal I am, the more I can fit in! Did she mention that Naruto scored 95 on the Mary Sue litmus test? My 29 pales in comparison!

I'm here to promise that not everyone loves me on first sight, and I am not the best ninja ever. So what if I share a plot-device bloodline limit with Naruto Mary Sues everywhere, and have a tragic past embarrassingly similar to Sasuke's? It doesn't mean I'm a bad character. I do have a slight problem that makes being a proper ninja extremely difficult, and according to TrebleTwenty, that makes everything okay. Including the identity of my future love interest. You will not be impressed. Believe me. I'm trying to tell her that nobody's gonna like it, but no, she's all like, it's my story, I can do whatever the hell I want with it, and I'm like, not if you want fans you can't. She's keeping the plot device bloodline against _my_ better judgement, because it gives her an excuse to put her original villain in it. She used to be my sempai, before she murdered a close family member. It was only one, but can you see the similarity there? Exactly.

_Honestly. _It's like she doesn't even _care _anymore.

But she loves fans. She thinks that the story is terrible, and she's surprised anybody likes it. I have to admit, for a one-shot, it's pretty damn good. The parts I've read anyway. I didn't see the beginning because I didn't exist then.

Go look at me on deviantart in a minute please. I look awesome in coloured pencil. Photoshopped? Not so much. Oh no, I forgot, there's one of me in the mist now, and it looks so epically epic, I might die!

I'd like to say goodbye now, and see you in chapter 9, when it gets written. I hope it doesn't take too long, because I get really bored with nothing to do.

She has loads of stuff to do. She has school, but she hardly ever does that because she says it's dumb and boring. She's writing a book, but she hardly ever does that because she's a lazy arse. Oh, don't look at me like that, TT. You know it's true. Her favourite thing at the moment is her and Kas's manga, Yashikawa.

Okay, that was a shameless plug. What can I say? She's paying me in dango.

So now, I'd just like to say, don't judge me yet. I haven't been in it enough.

And so what if I have a T-shirt that says "I trained with the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. Beat that, Bitch"? You're just jealous.


End file.
